Yesterday I skipped my post so that I could get more sleep
to wake up early this morning for my workout. And then this morning I opted to
sleep an extra few minutes and skip the workout.
You know, sometimes that’s just the way it goes.
So this morning I woke up leisurely, had tea first (instead
of chugging lukewarm tea in my classroom as I get ready for the day), and had
plenty of time to get ready. Don’t get me wrong; I still love the morning
workouts, but I wasn’t upset to opt for more sleep today.
I do need to share yesterday’s workout with you, though,
because that one was a doozy. Oddly, it didn’t feel too tough throughout, but Terry and I are definitely feeling the
burn in our quads and hamstrings today.
Yesterday should have been a WIAW, but let’s just say it
wasn’t a bad day to skip—I have no photos of my food, and the food wasn’t
spectacular in the first place. Today, though, a few of my coworkers and I went
to The Counter for dinner and then scooted back to the high school to watch a
few of our students perform in a choir concert. I had an organic bison burger with roasted bell peppers, grilled onions, and gruyere cheese, plus sweet potato fries and chili fries. It's always so fun to spend time with other teachers and share hilarious stories from the classroom.
Speaking of work, I also took some time yesterday and today to get a little
grading done at Starbucks. Even though I don’t drink coffee, I love the ambiance
of coffee shops and feel particularly productive in the white-noise environment.
I can grade, blog, or read with minimal distraction. Plus, who can resist a
little midday people watching? I’m always fascinated by the diversity of people
in Stabucks—teenagers who giggle and gossip, businesswomen meeting each other
for an afternoon meeting, grad students listening to music on their laptops,
young dads trying to get their toddlers to stop touching all the merchandise.
Perfect entertainment for when I need a break from grading my endless stack of
papers.
The end of the semester is quickly approaching, and the
teachers are just as stressed as the students. On top of regular lessons, we’re
juggling test prep, parent concerns, students begging for extra credit, loads
of work to grade, and prep for next semester. I’m looking forward to the three-day
weekend so I can get caught up on some of my work. (Perhaps another trip or three to Starbucks?)
I’m also terrified of getting whatever virus/cold/flu is
going around the school. Several students have been out or just super sick in
class, and I’m hoping to grab a flu shot ASAP. I’m not sure how strong it’ll be
when I encounter 150 students daily, but I can at least try.
Work-related stressors aside, I have to say that this first semester was extremely rewarding for me professionally. I think I really grew
as an educator, employee, and working adult. I worked harder than I ever have,
and I felt more organized and more professional. I think a lot of that
sentiment has to do with the fact that I’m no longer coaching. While I loved
working with my cheerleaders, my attention was split; now I focus solely on
teaching, which is important for a “new” (fourth-year) teacher. I am honing my
skill rather than just treading water, and I like the feeling of improving instead of improvising all the time.
And with that said, let's gear up for Friday! We're hoping to complete the same full-body circuit we did last week. Other ideas for the weekend?
- Cardio workout on Saturday (since I didn't do it today)
- Grading and planning
- Homemade soup
- Perhaps a movie
Any fun weekend plans? And how do you feel about coffee shop productivity?
i get a ton of work done when I switch up the environment like that. i am glad to hear this semester has been so rewarding for you.
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